The "Windy City" Airchecks Collection
Tim Benko, 1996 
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Tim Benko of "Windy City" Airchecks archived the airwaves of Chicago radio for 25 years. Among his massive collection of airchecks are the gems you will find here. Tim said he never worked in radio, but he was always intrigued by the media. He found the Repository days after we went online and immediately became a major contributor. The success of this site is directly related to Tim's early and overwhelming willingness to share. He loved these old recordings of radio stations as much as anyone.
Unexpectedly, Tim passed away at the age of 51, between Christmas 1998 and New Years Day, 1999. Tim was so generous that we still have some of his contributions yet to go online. We miss you, Tim! Tim said his collection was more hobby than business, but it was serious enough that Uncle Ricky received a prized "MONITORING DIVISION" beverage mug, along with a mountain of nostalgic oxide and a list of goodies that very likely represents THE ultimate collection of Chicago airchecks from 1973 to the present. Part of the debut offering for this collection was notable for the delivery medium and content: Kris Erik Stevens on WLS and WCFL, on authentic analog 1/4" reel-to-reel tape. While it's difficult to beat 400 feet of acetate excellence - Tim and "Windy City" contributed so much more! Tim, we thank you! |
The late Dick Sainte (d. December 10, 2005) had that “boss” sound on WCFL in 1973, and it’s no wonder. His credentials included KGB, KFRC, and KHJ before he joined the Voice of Labor.
The production value of Super ‘CFL was very high during this period: Sainte’s seemingly effortless, casual style is complemented here with those great TM WCFL jingles, and a memorable Pepsi spot.
(Aircheck courtesy Tom Konard’s Aircheck Factory.)
This is interesting because it so appropriately demonstrates the beginning of the end of personality and production-driven Top-40. Who would have believed powerhouse CKLW would ever end up backselling “blocks” of music, without any ID between the hits?!
Was this any way to do Top 40? No Jingles! No Production, not even a Big Voice Production “Imager”! Ack! In all fairness to Charlie O’ Brien, he is trying to sound comfortable and has a very pleasant voice. But I never would have believed this is what CKLW was doing in 1978. You must hear to believe…
..and know what this hath wrought. (Some of the commercial jings are nice to hear again…)
Charlie Tuna returns to KHJ, Los Angeles, May 6, 1977.
Features: Edith Anne, Henny Youngman for Turtle Wax, The Morning Breakfast Serial with Bill Cosby, a spot for Pumping Iron (starring an Austrian bodybuilder with a strange name) *one* TM “We Do It For You” jingle, This Date in History – “if he (Rudolph Valentino) heard me talking he would turn over in his grave – of course, that would be a more comfortable position for Rudy..”, promos by Bobby Ocean, and lots more Tuna Surprise and wonderful memories of Spring 1977 in Los Angeles.
Brad Messer opens with his news closer at 5PM on KGB AM San Diego, January 3, 1975, and Wizard Lew Rogers is driving the Magic Bus on The KGB.
Along with a Top 40 music mix, and an abundance of adult theatre advertisements, you’ll hear an introduction for Todd Wallace on KRUX (Glendale AZ.)
Long-time Pittsburgh personality Larry O’Brien is featured on his solo morning show on WTAE on November 7, 1973. Don’t be fooled by the “same old” Boss jingle opening – WTAE was not a cookie-cutter format. In addition to playing an adult mix of contemporary hits with deep oldies support, WTAE was also originating Pittsburgh Steeler NFL games. You’ll hear a number of surprises, including the Johnny Mann Singers’ rendition of “DeNardo Weather” (a reference to the Joe DeNardo weather service), and some comedy quickies by O’Brien.
In 1975, O’Brien was teamed with PM driver John Garry (featured on this aircheck voicing a contest promo) for mornings on WTAE. O’Brien and Garry remained together for decades.
[Thanks to Jeff Roteman for WTAE background information. ]
Last aired for the WLS Employee Reunion on August 30, 1997 from 6 – 7:30 PM, this retrospective was produced and narrated by the current voice of WLS, Chief Historian and former “Musicradio” personality Jeff Davis, and spans a quarter century of memorable moments. The late Tim Benko contributed this recording in September of 1997.
PART ONE (13:22) begins with radio’s Golden Age prior to ABC’s purchase of the station in March, 1960, followed by an aircheck with yet-to-become General Manager Gene Taylor, from June 7, 1960.
PART TWO – WLS & THE BEATLES (7:20) includes comments from Ron Riley and a montage of Beatle hits.
PART THREE – WLS COMMERCIAL FLUBS (5:50) features Fred Winston and weinies, Larry Lujack and Waterpik®, and JJ Jeffrey and The Chicago Symphony Orchestra. (This segment concluded with the WLS Montage. The 1984 WLS Montage can be heard here.)
PART FOUR – WLS & THE MUSIC PEOPLE (5:49) includes Roger Daltrey, Lindsey Buckingham, BTO, John Sebastian, Devo and Marvin Hamlisch. (This segment is not complete – it ends abruptly for the 7PM news – that’s the way it was broadcast on 8/30/97.)
PART FIVE – WLS & THE PERSONALITIES (16:26) features Dick Biondi (On Top of a Pizza and the 3rd birthday show), Ron Riley, Dex Card, Jerry Kaye, Scotty Brink, Steve Lundy, JJ Jeffrey, Joel Sebastian, Bill Bailey (NOT “The Duke of Louisville”), Charlie Van Dyke, Bob Sirott, Yvonne Daniels, John Landecker, Larry Lujack, Steve Dahl and Gary Meier.
PART SIX – A WLS TIMELINE FOR A QUARTER CENTURY (6:23) is a classy montage of the sounds “between the music”. Again, this segment is incomplete and was broadcast that way on 8/30/97. The closing credits are interrupted by the 7:30 news update, with a bulletin that Princess Diana had been “seriously injured” in an automobile accident in Paris – a unexpected reminder that even as radio honors its past, it cannot neglect its responsibility to the present.
Super-smooth Bob Dearborn hosts the last hour of his final show on Super CFL, March 15, 1976, just prior to Larry Lujack’s Super CFL Top 40 finale.
The late Tim Benko wrote Uncle Ricky about this aircheck in April of 1998:
“One of those moments where if you heard this while drinking in a bar, you’d buy a round for the entire place.”
Included: spots for WLS and WDAI, both hoping to claim some of the WCFL audience.
Larry Lujack as a “Beautiful Music” announcer!
In the first break, “Superjock” announces that the KISS concert is still on, and for listeners to keep collecting those candy wrappers for the contest!
This exhibit was updated on June 20, 2009, and now includes the entire (‘scoped) hour, and a newscast from Pat Sheraton.
Repository contributor Tim Benko passed away in 1998. A (short) ‘scoped portion of this contribution was originally published by REELRADIO on January 10, 1999.
This WLS aircheck begins just after 5:30 AM on September 16, 1976. It was the Thursday Larry Lujack returned to The Big 89 after completing his contractual obligations to WCFL.
We join the Three Million Dollar Moment as Lyle Dean reports that former morning man Fred Winston has sued Lujack for “conspiring to deprive him of his job”. What were the first words of Mr. Lujack? “Oh well, easy come, easy go.”
This era of WLS pays homage to sister WABC with heavy program reverb and jingles between and before commercial elements. But, there is no ABC Network News.
Unscoped
Here’s John Records Landecker on his first day in afternoon drive on WLS. It’s 19 degrees, the Transit Authority is on strike, and he jokes that “after 8 years, I finally got day work”. Included: the Christmas Wish contest, a Seasons Greetings jingle, and Dick Orkin as a Sugar Plum for The Gap.
Landecker replaced Bob Sirott. Sirrott was sitting out his non-compete clause before beginning AM drive on WCRK-FM (ex WDAI-FM) a few months later.
Thankfully, this is The Enormous 89 playing real Top 40  a mix of pop, R&B and rock! The inevitable paranoia over disco music had yet to take its toll, and compared to the faux AOR heard in Landecker’s farewell airchecks from 1981 (below), this one is right on target.
Update: December 13, 2009 – the unscoped version. Tim’s original tape was noisy and warbly at the beginning of side 1 but improves. REELRADIO will be forever grateful for Tim’s generosity.